Controlling and operating means for water-scoops for locomotives.



Nn. 675,223. Patented Mayes, lem.

J. A. KIMBER. CUNTBDLLING AND OPERATING MEANS F03 WATER SCOUPS F08LUCOMOTIVES.

(Application led Oct. 80, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I, Il'

m: 'uname Pm ce.. maro-urw-. WASHINGTON. n. e..

No. 675,223. Patented May 28, I90I.

J. A. KIMBEB. GONTRDLLING AND OPERATING MEANS FON WATER SCOOPS FORLUCOMOTIVES.

(Application led Oct. 30, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

rrED- 'raras JOHN A. KIMBER, OF RENSSELAER, NEW YORK.

CONTROLLING AND OPERATING MEANS FOR WATER-SCOOPS FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 675,223, dated May 28,1901.

Application tiled October 30, 1900. Serial No. 34.874. (No model.)

.To all whom it 771,603/ con/067%:

Beit known that I, JOHN A. KIMBER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Rensselaer, in the county of Rensselaer and State of NewYork, havel invented certain new and useful Improvements in Controllingand Operating Means for Water-Scoops for Locomotives, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to controlling and operating means forwater-scoops for locomotives; and it has for its object to provideimproved means of this class which will be superior in point ofpositiveness of action, con: venience, accuracy, and safety inoperation.

According to the presentinvention the water-scoop is preferably actuatedby steam or compressed-air power drawn from the locomotive-boiler orair-compressor, and the application of power to throw the water-scoopinto or out of operative position is controlled by suitable valvesarranged for convenient operation by the engine-crew. The manualmanipulation of the water-scoop is thus obviated. Myimproved controllingmeans also embodies devices for accurately regulating the movement ofthe water-scoop and preventing its injurious engagement with thewater-trough or road-bed.

- In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of alocomotive and tender, illustratin g my improved controlling means inoperative position, several of the parts being broken away to illustratethe interior construction. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective View of aportion of the construction illustrated in Fig. 1, several of the partsbeing broken away to illustrate interior construction. Fig. 3 is adetail side elevation of another portion of the construction illustratedin Fig. 1. Fig. 4. is a detail plan view of an element oftheconstruction illustrated in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail perspectiveview of a part of the construction illustrated in Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a detail front view of a part of the construction illustrated in Fig. 2,partly broken away. Fig.l 7 is a detail front vview of a further part ofthe construction illustrated in Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is a detail front v iew'of a still further part of theconstruction illustrated in Fig. 2. Corresponding-parts in all thefigures lare denoted by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the waterscoop, which isconnected with the lower end of the tan k-supply pipe 2, by which itcommunicates with the water-tank 3, which is, as usual, comprised in theconstruction of the tender 4. The water-scoop 1 is pivoted to orflexibly connected with the supply-pipe 2,'as rat 5, in the customarymanner and is free to move in a vertical path, whereby its mouth orintake portion 6 may project into or be withdrawn from the track-trough,a portion of which, as at '7, is illustrated in Fig. 1.

In my invention the scoop 1 is controlled by means of an operatingelement 8, preferably carried beneath the tender. The operating element8 preferably consists of a piston-rod 8a, actuated by a piston 9, whichoperates within a cylinder 10, carried at any convenient point,preferably beneath the tender, as at 10d. The piston-rod S isoperatively connected at its outer end with the water-scoop, preferablyby means of leverage devices 11. The cylinder 10 is connected with asource of power, preferably the boiler 12 of the locomotive 13,' bysteam-supply pipes 14, provided with controlling-valves 15 and 16,whereby steam may be admitted to the respective ends of the cylinder,and a main controlling-valve 17, whereby steam may be passed from theboiler to the valves 15 andl.

18 designates tensionalmeans which operate upon the operating element 8to normally maintain the water-scoop in raised or inoperative position.

The operating element 8 or piston-rod SiL is preferably bisected,l as at19, and the bisections 19a and 19,b are connected by an adjusting device20, preferably consisting of a turn` buckle 21, having an operativethreaded connection with the bisections.

The leverage devices 11 preferably embody a bell-crank lever 22, one armof which, 23, is pivotally connected, as at 24, with the piston 8a andthe other arm 25 of which is connected with the water-scoop 1 by a link26.

27 designates stop means for limiting the play of the leverage devices11, and consequently limiting the vertical movement of the water-scoop 1and determining its degree of operative projection.

To accommodate the tensional means 18, I preferably provide spacedbrackets 28 and 29, which depend from the under side of the tank -IOO -10", respectively.

3 or tender 4- and are cut out at their lower edge portions, as at 30,to receive the pistonrod Si A collar 31 is loosely mounted upon thepiston-rod between the brackets and is provided with set-screws 32,whereby it may be secured in adjusted position. The tensional means 18preferably consist of a coiled spring 33, mounted upon the piston-rodbetween the bracket 2S, which is nearest the cylinder 10, and the collar31 and bears operatively upon said bracket and said collar. The springexerts a constant tendency which normally maintains the operatingelement in the position of operative projection, which through theagency of the leverage devices 11 maintains the water-scoop 1 in raisedor inoperative position. \Vhen the operating element is moved intooperatively -retracted position, the leverage devices 1l are operated todepress the water-scoop 1.

The collar 31 may readily be adjusted along the piston-rod to regulatethe potential of the spring with relation to the tension required tomaintain the scoop in normal elevated position.

34 designates an adjustable stop device which preferably operates inconnection with the brackets 29 and serves to limit the operativeretraction of the operating element. The stop device 3 preferablyconsists of a collar 35, loosely mounted upon the pistonrod and providedwith set-screws 36, whereby the collar may be locked to the piston-rodin adjusted position. rlhe collars 31 and 35 are, as illustrated,preferably arranged upon the piston-rod at opposite sides of the bracket29.

The bell-crank lever 22 is preferably supported by a depending bracket37, connected with the lower portion of the tender or tank 3. The arm 23of the bell-crank lever is preferably connected with the pistou-rod by apivot-pin 3S, which is seated in spaced cheeks 39, formed at the outerend of the piston-rod.

The means 27 for limiting the play of the leverage devices 11 preferablyconsist of an adjusting-screw 40, which operates with respect to the arm25 of the bell-crank lever 22 and is mounted in a cross-head L11, whichconnects the lower ends of two bracket-arms 42, secured beneath thetender 4 or tank 3, as at 43, and which project at either side of thearm 25 of the bell-crank lever. The cross-head 41 is thus arranged inthe path of play of the arm 25 and beneath the same. The adjusting means27 regulates the downward play of the arm 25, and consequently of thewater-scoop 1.`

The steam-supply pipes 1l comprise a main pipe 14, extending to thevalves 15 and 16, and branch pipes 14 and 14, extending, respectively,from the valves 15 and 16 to the opposite ends of the cylinder 10, as at10 and When steam is admitted to the cylinder l0 at the end 10 of thesame, the operating element S or piston-rod 8 is retracted against theresistance of the tensional means 13 and the leverage devices 11 areoperatcd to depress the water-scoop l. Vhen steam is admitted to thecylinder 10 at the end 10" of the same, the operating element S andwater-scoop are returned to normal position. The cylinder is preferablyprovided at each end with an exhaust-port 10""to permit of escape ofexhaust-steam.

The cylinder 10 may be secured to the tender 4: or tank 3 at the underside of the same by means of a flanged conncction-plate 141.(Illustrated in detail in Fig. 5.)

The main steam-supply pipe 14 preferably embodies a Ilexible section orhose-coupling l5 between the locomotive and the tender, which may be ofthe slip-joint car-heating pipe-connection type and is capable ofwithstanding the necessary steam-pressure.

The operation and advantages of my improved coutrolling means forwater-scoops will be readily understood by those skilled in the art towhich it appertains.

The operating element 8 normally maintains the water-scoop in raised orinoperative position under actuation of the tensional means 18, thepotential of which may readily be varied as required by the weight ofthe water-scoop. The adjusting device 2O is op erated when it is desiredto vary the normal vertical position of the intake end portion 6 of thewater-scoop 1. It will be noted that the tensional means 1S normallymaintains the water-scoop in the uppermost position allowed bytheoperating element 8 and that this position may be varied by operatingthe adjusting means 20 to lengthen or shorten the total length of theoperating element. The downward play of the water-scoopl is limited bythe adjust-able stop means 27 and may be regulated to a nicety byadjusting the screw 10. It is manifest that the accurate limitation ofthe downward play or operative depression of the water-scoop is ofimportance, it being necessary to immerse the intake end portion 6 ofthe water-scoop in the trough 7 to apredetermined degree to insurespeedy filling of the tank 3 and prevent injurious engagement of thewater-scoop with the trough construction or road-bed.

The operating element 8 is in operation under control of thelocomotive-crew, and in the use of the preferred form of actuating meansfor the operating element, as illustrated, consisting of the steam-fedcylinder 10, the main controlling-valve 17 is preferably arranged withinthe cab, as illustrated, in convenient position for control by theengineer, and the supplemental controlling-valves 15 and 1 6 arepreferably arranged at the forward portion of the tender, asillustrated, in convenient position for control by the fireman. When theengineer desires to drop the water-scoop into operative position, heturns the Valve 17 and admits steam to the supply-pipe lett. He thensignals to the fireman to drop the waterscoop, which operation isaccomplished by turning the valve 15 and admitting steam into the endportion 10n of the cylinder behind the IIO piston 9, which latter is atonce driven to the opposite end 10b of the cylinder and causes theretraction of the piston-rod 8a against the resistance of the springv33, which operation depresses the water-scoop through the agency of theleverage devices 1l. The valve 15 is then closed, cutting off steam fromthe cylinder, and the water-scoop is maintained in position by theimpact of the water in the tracktrough upon the water-scoop. When thetank 3 is sufficiently filled, the fireman turns the valve 16 and admitssteam to the end portion 10b of the cylinder behind the piston, and thepiston executes the return stroke to its normal position, causing thepiston-rod to raise the water-scoop through the agency of the leveragedevices 11 and the tensional means 18. The ports 10c in the cylinder atits opposite ends allow the exhaust-steam to escape from the cylinder,and thus prevent the formation of ice in the cylinder in cold weather.The ports 10 also permita gradual exhaust of the steam-cushions formedbehind the piston during the actuation of the same.

The adjustable stop devia-e311: upon the pis- Y ton-rod may, if desired,be employed solely to limit the play of the operating element, andconsequently of the water-scoop, but preferably coperates with the means27 in its similar function.

I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to the details ofconstruction and arrangement as herein described and indicated, as it ismanifest that variations and modifications may be made in the featuresof construction and arrangement in the adaptation of the device tovarious conditions of use without departing from the spirit and scope ofmy invention and improvements. I therefore reserve the right to all suchvariation and modification as properly fall within the scope of .myinvention and terms of the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent- 1. The combination, with a depressible water-scoop forlocomotives,of an operating element for the water scoop, connection de-Vices between the water-scoop and the operating element, said connectiondevices embodying a bell-crank lever, and means for limiting thedepression of said water-scoop comprising a bracket consisting of twoarms between which one of the arms of said bellcrank lever operates, andan adjustingscrew carried by said bracket within the path -of play ofsaid lever-arm.

2. The combination, with a depressible water-scoop for locomotives, ofan operating element for the water-scoop embodying areciprocating rod,connection devices between the reciprocating rod and the water-scoop,ad- 4 JOHN A. KIMBER.

Witnesses:

E. J. GUILFOIL, R. G. STEWART.

